Welcome to National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA e-newsletter for educators, highlighting tools and resources to help you teach in and about the natural environment.Not yet an Eco-School? Register today for this free, exciting program!

NEW Ranger Rick Jr. Appventure

Explore, create, and play with the newest App from National Wildlife Federation and Ranger Rick Jr. Join Ricky and Lars the Lion as they explore the African grasslands to discover how lions live. Children ages 4-7 will enjoy hours of fun and learning with features like Animal Builder and Photo Safari as well as fun facts, amazing animal photos and easy-to-read stories. Download today!

Ready to inspire environmental action in your school community? The grassroots organization Cool the Earth is now enrolling K-8 schools for the 2012-13 school year to run their free climate change program that motivates students and their families to take carbon-saving actions. The ready-to-run program is implemented by a parent or teacher volunteer. Step up and start making a change at your school!

As East Coast communities start to regroup after Hurricane Sandy and schools reopen, students and educators may struggle to transition back into the classroom and to cope with the aftermath of the storm.

We have added a special section to the Eco-Schools USA website containing information, articles and curriculum that you can use to help students understand why natural disasters happen and why this storm in particular made such an impact. View the special report now.

Sneak Peek: New Schoolyard Habitats Sign

At long last, if you are one of National Wildlife Federation's certified Schoolyard Habitats, you can display your very own sign! Look for an announcement soon about how to order yours. If you would like to be one of the first to get a sign with special “early bird” pricing, send an email to educators@nwf.org with "Sign" as the subject line.

Keep America Beautiful, in partnership with the US Composting Council, is holding a webinar on vermicomposting on Wednesday, November 28 from 4-5 pm eastern.

A worm bin in your school can provide exciting, hands-on learning experiences. In this session, you'll learn how to make an inexpensive worm bin and use it as a teaching tool for math, language arts, science, history, art, and more. You'll also learn how some schools use larger bins to compost lunchroom waste! Click here to register.

Plan Ahead for National Wildlife Week

You are invited to join the fun "Branching out for Wildlife" during National Wildlife Week, March 18-24, 2013. Learn about the parts of a tree, the role of trees, and how wildlife depends on trees for survival. You and your students can help us to plant 75,000 trees to mark the 75th anniversary of National Wildlife Week. Apply now to host a tree planting event!